Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-09-29
Bearers OF Charmed Lives.

ln6 ease Is r0cOTQeu OF man VINO
cut himself almost in two through run
ming heedlessly against the blade of a
scythe. He was taxed to the hospital,
sewn up, and in the course Of time re-
appeared among his admiring friends
In another case, says writer in al
the Year Round, an almost impercepti-
BILE scratch, inflicted by the wire of a
soda-water bottle, was sufficient to
cause death in a few hours. A more
recent case of a young man who, in ig
hitting match on his thumb nail, re-
tanned a portion Of the infammable
compound between the tip of the nail
and the flesh, inficting a wound from
the effects of which he died, offers a
remarkable contrast to the following
record of marvellous recovery from
wounds, which seems to prove indis-
putably that some persons indeed bear
charmed life.
After the bearer of the kings color
fell at Albuera, Lieut.. Latham seized
the color and defended it brayely
against host of assailants. His left
hand was severed by a saber stroke,
whereupon ne dropped his sword, and,
Selling the staff with his right hand,
chung tenaciously to it, although sur
rounded. thrown down, and trampled
upon by the horses and pierced by the
lances of his assailants. On the British
cavalry coming up the enemy retreat
ed, and the color was found under
meath the body of the brave lieutenant
as he lay, apparently dead. He was
discovered shortly afterward near the
river to which he had crawled, and,
having his numerous wounds attended
to, recovered to enjoy his sovereign's
favor.
Thomas Carter in his ssCuriosities of
War;" mentions the case of William
Masters, colonel who served under
the duke of Cumberland and who suf-
fered severely from asthma. During
an gagement, however, he was struck
by ball, which passed through his
lungs and which had the remarkable
effect of restoring him to health.
Though the duke used frequently to
prescribe this treatment as q never
failing remedy no instance is recorded
of any one else following the prescrip-
ton, the remedy no doubt being con-
sidered more dangerous than the
disease.
While Mr.. White, an official at st.
Pauls cathedral, was showing some
visitors the geometrical staircase, he
suddenly disappeared down the well,
and, falling a distance of ninety feet,
alighted on the engine at the bottom.
He appeared none the worse for his
aerial flight, and shortly afterward
walked home.
Sir Charles Napier, while an infant,
was on the border-land of death
through starvation when he was res
cued. AS boy at play he tore the
flesh from one leg and fractured the
other. At the battle of Corunna he was
wounded in five places and taken
prisoner, which led to the supposition
among his relations that he had been
killed; but he was not SO easily dis
posed of, for we afterward find him
at the battle of Busaco, where he was
struck in the face by a bullet, which
lodged behind the ear.
Returning at the conclusion of the
war, the ship went down off Flushing.
A pile which he managed to reach was
too large for him to climb up, and he
was therefore obliged to cling to the
base, where he was battered and half
drowned by the waves which constant
" washed over him, until he was res
cued from his dangerous position.
After the cholera had made vain at
tempt on his life and the sea had once
more refused to retain him after ship
wreck, he was wounded at Kurrachee
by a rocket; but this being insufficient
to induce him to retire, he was struck
simultaneously by a rocket and shell,
which inflicted severe injuries on his
body, but failed to deprive him of what
looks like charmed life.